Authorities see rise in fake passports on border

[December 17, 2008]  SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Federal officials say there has been an increase in the number of arrests of people trying to use fake passports and visas as they cross the U.S.-Mexico border in California.

State Department and border officials said Tuesday that 160 people had been arrested in the past year -- from November 2007 to November 2008 -- and are being prosecuted on charges alleging the use of false documents.

Officials say fewer than 20 such arrests were made over the previous one-year period.

The increase has come since the start of a requirement that travelers carry passports, birth certificates or other documents to prove citizenship at border crossings.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.